Sociable Lawyer Round Up: Anchor Posts for Arr-torneys!

Your week’s end anchor post is best complimented by a week’s end Anchor Steam.

It’s Thursday evening and you find yourself still anchored to your desk at the office (or, for you virtual office attorneys, perhaps the corner window at your local Starbucks). On top of all the correspondence and motions you’ve got left, there’s still that issue of updating your blawg. That last post of yours? It’s an insightful piece on ethics in legal marketing and you’re rather proud of it. But guess what, matey? It’s about a month past expiration date! Arr!

Originally started as a means to promote your practice and develop your profile as a trusted source in a niche field (think ‘legal marketing’ or ‘maritime law‘), you’ve come to find that creating original content for your blog, not to mention promoting said content, is more challenging than you anticipated. In a world where desktop notifications from Tweetdeck chirp every other users’ latest and greatest work directly into your ear, like some loud-mouthed parrot atop your shoulder, how do you overcome blogger fatigue? The answer lies in a tried and true method of structure and consistency: anchor features for your readers.

Captain Jack Sparrow: Arr-torney at Law

While there’s no doubt that frequently updated blogs shiver most people’s timbers, it’s a wise move to create an anchor feature that your readers can come to expect regularly (which, in turn, will drive them to your site regularly). An anchor post typically occurs once a week and acts as a buffer between lulls of original content. These posts can range in topic from weekly roundups to your own personal musings on current events. Simply curate some insightful content that is relevant to your readers, auto-draft an update for your Twitter handle and then take your life offline.

On the off chance that you’re not familiar with our own anchor post, we invite you to get acquainted below (Anchor Steam not included).

“Legal websites are a great way to generate leads. In order to attract the right kind of leads, however, you must use law firm marketing strategies to make your legal website a place qualified leads want to visit repeatedly. By using your online presence to enhance your client’s experience with your firm’s legal website, you will begin building a strong relationship. You must use proven law firm marketing techniques to capture your target audience’s attention and leave them wanting more. ”

“Your fellow solo practitioners, your local bar association, and the American Bar Association are all great places to go for help. As a member on various e-mail lists, I get messages at least twice a month from attorneys around the country asking for assistance in everything ranging from substantive areas of the law to picking a talented expert witness. There are a lot of other attorneys out there ready and willing to help. Take a lesson from Harry and you’ll see how much better things can be with a few allies on your side.”

“Do you want people to know that you know how to copy and paste your law firm website bio into your LinkedIn Summary? Don’t laugh. For most of you, that’s exactly what you do. And I can tell you what I and others think about you when we read that. Not much. As Pitlick explained to the group of lawyers, PR professionals, and business development folks in the lab, you want to write your own summary. You don’t want to have someone else write it for you.”

“Heavy Internet usage actually creates new grooves in synaptic connections called neural pathways in a process called “neuroplasticity.” The net effect of these physical changes to the brain is that your thinking will work in the same changed way—whether you’re online or not. In other words, once the web has got it’s grubby little fingers on you, it doesn’t matter whether you’re checking your email 30 to 40 times and hour, trying to concentrate on a book or eating dinner with your family: Your brain is in constant interruption mode, jumping from distraction to distraction.”

“Unless you disclose and receive permission from a law firm employer to start your own side practice, DON’T! From potential conflicts of interest to exposing your employer to malpractice to dealing with accusations of using company time for your benefit, running a law firm on the side is never a good idea. In fact, you could even lose your law license. That’s what happened to James Schoenecker, a Wisconsin attorney who was suspended from the practice of law for three years in a decision affirmed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.”

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